


The Best View Comes After the Hardest Climb

by Motherofmoggies



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spiderman - Fandom
Genre: Asthma, Asthmatic Peter Parker, Asthmatic Reader, Bisexual Peter Parker, Flash Thompson Being A Jerk, Flash Thompson isn't completely bad, High School, Marvel: Spiderman, Michelle Jones Is a Good Bro, Multi, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Other, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker has Asthma, Spiderman/Peter Parker (Tom Holland), Tag As I Go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Motherofmoggies/pseuds/Motherofmoggies
Summary: Prompt(s) for Bad Things Happen Bingo:Medication TamperingPrank Gone WrongReader starts school at Midtown School of Science and Technology, hoping for a fresh start.She meets a group of classmates: Peter, Ned and MJ.Y/n hopes she'll find friendship and maybe more.
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker & Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2
Collections: Bad Things Happen





	The Best View Comes After the Hardest Climb

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic.  
> A little whump and fluff for both reader and Peter.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt(s) from Bad Things Happen Bingo:  
> Medication Tampering  
> Prank Gone Wrong

#### GIRLS' LOCKER ROOM

#### 

Starting a new school midyear, is the worst. But 3rd block P.E. in a New York winter, makes it hell. Inside the girls’ locker room, I pull neatly folded, never worn Navy and Gold dress out clothes from my gym bag. At least I have got a comfortable hoodie out of the deal.

After changing, I take a puff of my inhaler, hoping no-one sees. I stuff it and the spacer into the hoodie, while I hold the medication in for 10 seconds, no need to immediately become the nerdy girl with asthma.

“Hey. You okay?”  
_Well, shit._

I turn to see a girl looking at me. Her brunette hair gathered loosely with a tie and bangs swept to the side.  


“Yeah...” This is awkward, “I just take it because my body sucks at running in the cold.”  


She nods, lifting her glowing, well-defined chin and takes a book out of her locker. “Cool...I’m MJ”  


I close my locker.  


_Oh my god, was I staring? She’s gorgeous. Kill me now._  


“Y/n.”

Heading out the door to the locker room I try to slow your heart rate, but are hit with a quick waft of a familiar offensive odor. Other students groan at the smell, but move to the far end of the gym near the doors to the track where the coach is blowing his whistle.  


_I hate running. I hate the cold. I hate asthma._

“...you dropped this...dipshit.” I hear some ass say, as I duck to the side of the bleachers to take another puff of my inhaler. Then the coughing begins.

#### BOYS' LOCKER ROOM

#### 

P.E. is so much better than it was last year, after the bite, Peter had more agility but he can't really show it off or people might get suspicious. Peter groans, grabbing his inhaler from his locker, flipping it to look at the counter.

_Shit, only 11 pumps left, I’ll have to ask May to call in a refill_.  
His asthma has gotten better but his body struggles to thermoregulate, and without his mask that includes his lungs.

He slides it into his hoodie pocket, because it’s an outdoor track day, in the cold New York air.

Sitting on the bench, Peter ties his shoes. The last thing he needed today was to be tripped up by shoelaces. Just more fuel to add to Flash’s stupidity fire.

A sudden buzz sounds from his phone on the bench.

“Hey Penis Parker. Oops, watch where you’re going,” Flash snidely jabs, crashing into Peter with his backpack.  


“Flash, I’m not even moving. You crashed into me.”  
Peter replied, grabbing his water bottle, before standing up and closing his phone in his locker.  


Flash swung his bag around a second time, but this time Peter sensed it stepping to the side, opting to bump the locker. Flash crashed into another kid knocking his gym bag to the floor with a clatter as shoes, keys and a metal water bottle hit the ground and scattered.

Peter picked up the keys and tossed them to the boy, before turning to walk away, meeting Ned in the next row of lockers.  


“Dude, wanna come over this weekend?” Ned says. 

Before Peter could answer, he sensed something was about to happen.

He heard the canister shake just before one of Flash’s trackmates began dispensing the overbearingly strong body spray.  


“Dude, you know all that does is cover your stench, and make your troll feet reck worse, right?” Flash had an accurate observation for once.

Peter, who began walking quickly toward the gym entrance and out of the locker room, felt a sudden itching in the back of his throat. 

_Shit._ Resisting the urge to cough, he held his breath to avoid the fumes.

Once inside the gym he took a shallow, slow measured breath in through his nose. Pulling off the hoodie, which now smelled of teenage dreams of masculinity.

Peter felt the itching intensify, lungs beginning to feel irritated and tight, like breathing in cold, dry air. He realized he was clenching his jaw and tightening his shoulders as a result of the panic building in his chest.

“Oh man, that’s rancid.” Ned covered his face with his shirt, turning to face Peter, his expression changed from disgust to concern. 

“Hey, you okay? Peter, Do you need your inhaler? I thought you didn't even have asthma any...nevermind. We need to get away from this.”  


Peter’s breaths began to quicken, and he swallowed thickly to avoid setting off a coughing fit. His eyes watered, and sinuses stung. The lingering scent still assaulting his senses.

He was unable to resist coughing at this point and several tight, painful coughs racked his chest, each shorter and tighter than the last.  
Ned guided him to the bleachers on the opposite side of the gym. Peter gasps a few times as he reaches inside his hoodie pocket and sitting down.

_okay, peter, just take a few puffs, you'll be fine._

His panic increased as he felt the lack of cold, smooth plastic in his pocket. He patted down his gym shorts, continuing to cough.  


“Dude, where’s your inhaler?” Ned asked with trepidation. Peter just shook his head questioningly, furrowing his eyebrows, fear in his eyes.  


“Hey Penis, you dropped this...dipshit.” Flash smirked as he exited the locker room, tossing the small blue device which held Peter’s salvation across to the bleachers, then walking toward his friends. Somehow Peter managed to catch the inhaler before it hit the seats. 

Sitting up as straight as he could, he shook the medication, raised it to his lips, and pushed the canister down, taking in a wheeze.

Nothing happened. He shook it again and took another pump.

Nothing. He continued to take short hiccups of air flipping the inhaler over a second time today.

_000 shit. shit. shit. What?!?_  


“Oh my god. Peter, it’s empty? Do you have another one?” Ned scrambled to sit beside his friend as Peter shook his head exhaling painful wheezes and raspy long gasps.

His head now swimming and hazy, he closed his eyes clutching his shirt, pressing his fist into his chest leaning forward, trying to will the heavy weight off his chest.  
…………..

#### GYM

#### 

“Sit up straight.” Peter heard a soft, quiet voice urge, and felt Ned move to the seat behind him, reach under his arms and lift his shoulders.

“Ok. ok. Peter, it’s going to be okay” he heard Ned’s still panicked voice.

Peter lifted his head slightly, feeling the inhaler being placed in his mouth as his chest straightened with Ned’s assistance.

_Empty._ He thought. _It’s not going to..._  
Muscle memory pulled in as long a breathe as he could. He was surprised as he felt the cold aerosol reach the back of his throat and shallowly into his lungs. He held it for a few seconds, until he couldn’t any longer.

He sputtered tight coughs, feeling a little air moving with the next inhale. His eyelids opened and he looked confused.

_Well y/n, maybe because it's weird to put plastic in other peoples' mouths!...Those doe-brown eyes...right he can’t breathe._  


He watched as I shook the inhaler and attached my spacer. I pressed the mask over his nose and mouth.

“Try again. Peter right?” This time two pumps and he breathed short, wheezes in and out of the spacer.

Still lightheaded, Peter was thankful for Ned’s arm still holding him up as the ton of weight began to ease from his chest.

After a moment, he was able to slow his breath a little, but was still struggling for air.

“Thanks” he squeaked out.

I just nodded stupidly.  


“Peter, your shirt still smells. Here, lift your arms a little…” Ned removed the shirt over his constricted chest and over his head. Ned threw the shirt to the other side of the bleachers.

_No kidding_ I thought as the scent hit my nostrils and I tried to hold my breath to avoid any more entering my lungs. Still the all too familiar squeeze tightened around my lungs, as I winced.  


Peter began coughing again for at least half a minute, a little deeper this time. As soon as the coughing stopped, Peter inhaled another wheezy, but longer breath. Peter and Ned turned as they heard me coughing and the pump of the inhaler again.

Peter looked at me more clearly now, empathy in his soft, tired smile, as I held the breath as long as I could, while passing the spacer and medication toward him.  


“You need more.” I breathed out. He looked hesitant, questioning. “Wasn’t a question...here,” I pushed it into his hands.

Ned released his grasp around his friend. Peter brought the spacer up to his face again, two pumps. Closed his eyes again.

_Breathe. In. out. In. out._  


Peter hung his head and nodded. “Thank you” he whispered, clearing his throat, the weight of exhaustion becoming a heavy realization, but the sensation of oxygen returning to his lungs a relief.  


“That garbage... is a trigger for me, too.” I wheezed out quietly. Ned looks at Peter’s discarded shirt.  


“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. uh…I’m Ned and this is Peter, Oh my god, please don’t die” Ned was beside himself.

_Awww_.

I smiled, shaking my head gently, and silently chuckled, “You’re fine.”  


“Hey, losers.” MJ walked up, looking up from her book. “Whoa, what the hell happened?” she asked, wrinkling her adorable nose as she looked to Peter, whose shirtless chest is still heaving as he sucks in deeper and deeper breaths. “You okay, Peter?”  


Peter smiled and shook his head “I’m good. Again, thanks” he turned to me.  


I held up the inhaler and she nodded in recognition. _Damnit. This is going great. Awesome first impression y/n. Can a person roll their eyes internally?_  


“Peter,” Ned inquired, ignoring MJ’s question. “Why are you carrying around an empty inhaler?”  


“Here,” MJ tossed an oversized hoodie to Peter. _She’s sweet too. Does she like him? Does he like her? Why am I worried about this?!?!?!? Not the time y/n!!!_  


"It wasn’t...empty a few minutes ago,” Peter replied, regaining breath, as he slide on the hoodie. “I must have dropped it...in the locker room.”  


“Flash.” Ned fumed, looked beyond angry as he examined Peter’s empty inhaler, like it could speak of the crimes committed upon it. “Would he really stoop that low to tamper with medication, man? Isn’t that like a felony?”  


“Only like, a class E.” MJ shrugged and stated matter of factly. _??? funny too._  


“I don’t know...calm down Ned.” Peter sounded exhausted.  


“Flash?” You asked. _What kind of name is that?_  


“The jerk walking this way.” Ned nodded. Then firmly said “I’m gonna kill him.”  


“Ned, I got this.” MJ stepped in front of Ned and turned to look at Flash “What did you do, asshole?” He seemed only slightly put off by MJ’s intensity.  


“What? What do you mean? I just brought this dweeb's inhaler out. You’re WELCOME. You should be more careful with your shit.” Flash sneered, then looking at Peter asked. “You look like shit.” A split second, glimpse of worry stretched across his face. “Are you okay?”  


“What the fuck Flash? NO, He’s not okay. You almost killed him,” Ned jabbed a finger to Flash’s chest. “First that god-awful spray and then his medicine!”  
Flash was taken aback by Ned’s sudden assertion and confidence.  


“What? I didn’t...I didn’t do anything. Jason found it and I just brought it out. Did you forget how to use it, Penis?” Flash tried to recover his composure, but took another step back.  


“It was emptied in the locker room.” Ned glared. Flash looked shocked, eyes widening.  


“I...I didn’t...I wouldn’t try to... !” Flash shook his head looking Peter in the eyes. _This is a weird dynamic._  


“Stop guys...I believe him...just... stop.” Peter sighed leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees as his hands shook.  


“We should probably go to the nurse.” You breathed, as Peter nodded, too exhausted to argue.  


“I can grab your bag if you want y/n” MJ offered. _Please be single. Please be single._

I smiled. She smiled. I took another hit of my inhaler and handed it to Peter, his soft-brown eyes meeting mine.

“Keep it, I have another one in my backpack.”  


“Thank you, but I’m good.” Peter said.  


“First, you’re clearly NOT doing so great, Wheezy...And second...Come on, everybody’s doing it.”  


Peter rolled his eyes, smiled and put the inhaler in his pocket.  


“A.: Wheezy? Really? a lot of room to talk." Giving you the most precious side-eye, "B.: is albuterol the strongest stuff you've got?”  


“Yeah, on track days.”  


We both laughed wheezily and made our way to the nurse’s office.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this fanfic, let me know what you'd like to see next.  
> I tried to be as medically accurate as I could, basing this on my own experience of asthma. I've been struggling this week, and this was sort of a cathartic whump and fluff.  
>  _Yes, Axe BodySpray is the devil. And is a trigger for me. And cold air. And running, ugh. ___
> 
> Let me know what you think.  
> I'd love to use my Bad Things Happen Bingo card for a series of mishaps and adventures for Peter and reader as it makes sense.  
> THANK YOU to my Beta readers!!!
> 
> __


End file.
